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I've never had boxed scalloped potatoes taste anything like scalloped potatoes made from scratch. Dehydrated potatoes taste nothing like fresh potatoes......they always taste funny and have a strange after taste.
True but when you've only eaten the boxed kind you can't compare it to homemade. I can now though. The reason I don't buy the boxed stuff anymore is the sodium content and the crud they put in it but as a kid we thought my mom took all day to make it . Never realized till I was a teenager that it was the boxed stuff. I do make homemade mashed potatoes but Only made the scalloped once and I did like how they came out. My SIL's are better.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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When it comes to scalloped potatoes, I am a purist. Other foods, not so much. Reason being, scalloped potatoes are one my favorite foods. You know the kind where you keep eating till you can't put in anymore or you will explode?!?
When my kids were young and at home, they would bring friends over for dinner. My son's friend went nuts over the scalloped potatoes. Went home and asked his mom to make some. He told me later on that she said ok and made the boxed version. He told her those weren't scalloped potatoes.
I don't make them often anymore since it is only hubby and I. I soooo over eat when it's just the two of us. My son now makes them and has tweaked his version to make them what he calls cheesy potatoes. He has become quite the cook in his house.
There is no recipe written to hand down. It's all in our head and we make them by guesstimates and visually we know what we are looking for.
So worth the time and effort.
Other boxed foods are ok. Not scalloped potatoes though.
I have made scalloped potatoes using dehydrated potatoes and a mix. When I was asked to do a church dinner ALONE, I was NOT going to peel potatoes for 100+ people by hand. I did not think that the final product was bad at all.
Do we use dried potatoes. Certainly. Occasionally, someone gives me a 50# bag of Idaho potatoes or homegrown potatoes and we cannot use them before they rot. Therefore, we give some to our neighbors and the rest we dehydrate in the hot Arizona sun. And yes, it does work very well and relatively quickly.
And here is a picture:
My parents also used "Potato Buds" for quick mashed potatoes - I got to help by measuring out the milk, water and butter and make them in our '70's microwave - it was cool!
I prefer potatoes au gratin, myself, as I am a cheese-a-holic. I'm sure scratch is delicious, but I have never made them, as slicing potatoes is not my favorite kitchen chore. I use the boxed stuff, but I doctor it up. I use mostly milk instead of water, and cream where it calls for milk. I also usually add more cheese on top (smoked bacon cheddar last time.) I do not make them on the stovetop (shortcuts only go so far.) They are delicious, but definitely not health food.
True but when you've only eaten the boxed kind you can't compare it to homemade. I can now though. The reason I don't buy the boxed stuff anymore is the sodium content and the crud they put in it but as a kid we thought my mom took all day to make it . Never realized till I was a teenager that it was the boxed stuff. I do make homemade mashed potatoes but Only made the scalloped once and I did like how they came out. My SIL's are better.
It's amazing the amount of salt and sugar added to packaged foods. My sister only eats frozen Lean Cuisine meals. She's BFF's with her microwave. I look at them once in awhile when I am grocery shopping and I'm shocked at the nutrition label....58% of your sodium from one serving! Many packages are more than one serving. It's rather shocking.
I prefer potatoes au gratin, myself, as I am a cheese-a-holic. I'm sure scratch is delicious, but I have never made them, as slicing potatoes is not my favorite kitchen chore. I use the boxed stuff, but I doctor it up. I use mostly milk instead of water, and cream where it calls for milk. I also usually add more cheese on top (smoked bacon cheddar last time.) I do not make them on the stovetop (shortcuts only go so far.) They are delicious, but definitely not health food.
Food processor! That's what I use to slice potatoes and shred carrots. Makes life a bit easier.
I don't eat processed food. One Thanksgiving eve in the suburbs we realized we had no potatoes. Ran to every store that would have them but they were all closed so we ended up at a convenience store that had boxed scalloped potatoes. They were so salty that only the processed food eaters could tolerate them.
Dirtgrinder - were you to serve it including the box I would graciously dispose of it one bite at a time.
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. Never realized till I was a teenager that it was the boxed stuff. I do make homemade mashed potatoes but Only made the scalloped once and I did like how they came out. My SIL's are better.
